1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to toy construction sets, and more particularly to a construction set including a plurality of fluid conducting components interconnectable in fluid transmitting relationship to form a wide variety of fluidic systems.
2. Prior Art
Toy construction sets are known which utilize a plurality of interconnectable structural elements. The elements typically are provided with male, female, or male and female coupling portions so that they can be connected by mating complementary coupling portions or by using separate coupling elements. Such construction sets are described in the referenced End Connector Patent and the referenced Slotted Connector Patent.
While much has been done to develop toy construction sets including a wide variety of mechanical, optical, electrical, and electronic components, little has been done to provide construction kits with fluidically operable components, or with interconnectable fluid transmitting components. While present day toy construction sets are highly instructive in that they enable the novice to build complex, sophisticated mechanical, optical, electrical and electronic systems, such construction sets fail to provide comparable instructive opportunities for the construction of fluidic systems.
The referenced Piston Patent discloses a piston in a cylinder as an element of a construction set. While some such fluidic components are known in construction sets, no prior toy construction sets have provided a highly versatile set of interconnectable fluid-transmitting and fluid-operational components. It is such versatility which presents a challenge to persons using construction kits and which accounts for their widespread commercial acceptance.